I'm not suggesting it is passive, only that it need not occupy 100% of one's available time except for defined seasons. The rest of the time, the crops just grow, leaving lots of room for side employment.

A combination of self-sufficiency and modest employment would take quite a bit of the pressure away from needing monetary gain. I only work part-time, for example. I could work even less if I had enough available dirt to supplement our diet, but city plots tend to be too small.